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The Communal Table
August 2006
On a stormy, summer weekend in late July, I attended a workshop at
The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. The institute--a rather
austere name for what was more like a summer camp---was nestled in
the countryside in upstate New York, just off the Hudson River on
195 acres. The idyllic setting was dotted with rustic cabins for
sleeping, spa treatments, meditation and dance, along with a
well-stocked bookstore, large auditorium, café, library and
cafeteria. Meandering paths wandered through plush floral and
meditation gardens, rows of perfectly tended vegetables and herbs,
cascading brooks and open fields scattered throughout the hilly,
heavily wooded grounds.
As I sat at a large round table on the covered porch off the
cafeteria, about to dig into a plateful of vegetable lasagna, and a
large salad of mixed greens topped with walnuts, pea shoots and a
creamy dill dressing, I was stunned by the beauty of the gray clouds
beginning to disperse after the deluge, while the first rays of the
sun fought to peek through the mists once more. I couldn’t help but
notice that the true learning of the weekend was taking place right
here.
I usually shared the dining table with three or four friends,
leaving three or four empty seats for others to join us. Each time
these seats were taken by strangers, I habitually went through a
mental list: age, sex, appearance, speech, etc. I was reminded of
what I had learned years ago---that an impression is made in the
first 15 seconds of meeting someone. This time however I was
conscious of letting go of my immediate judgments and allowing
myself to see beyond them. What unfolded was usually a story that
revealed a connection between us rather than a separation--a message
we needed to hear, or something we needed to tell. And each time it
was the talk about the food we were eating, the crispness of the
greens, the flavor of the salad dressing, the freshly baked
bread--the blandness of the soup--that opened the talk at the table
to more profound discussion.
What is it about food that sharing it, even with strangers, turns
them into friends? Maybe it’s because we all enjoy eating good food
and maybe it’s because food is such a reminder of what we all have
in common--that we all have to eat to survive. So maybe it’s not our
differences that we should focus our attention on, but our
similarities. And it’s in our similarities that we find our
connection.
So in these dog days of summer, when it may be too hot to cook, put
a large crispy salad on your table, whip up a variety of dressings
to keep on hand and enjoy the similarities in anyone who may drop
by.
Chef Silvia
To get this
month’s summer salad dressing recipes click on
recipes.
Also, if any of you are interested in organizing you own style of cooking
class/dinner party, check out my
cooking classes page for more information.
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